Association News
REC Responds to Labour Market Statistics
March 22, 2017 - Association News
REC Responds to Labour Market Statistics
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) is the professional body for UK recruitment businesses. Established since 1930, it claims to represent 82% of the recruitment market place by value.
Commenting on the recent publication of labour market statistics by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which includes data for November 2016 – January 2017, REC chief executive Kevin Green says:
“The UK jobs market has broken records again, with the employment rate reaching 74.6 per cent. The number of people entering work has accelerated, with 92,000 more jobs created between November and January. Unemployment is at the lowest since the mid-seventies. Despite pay growth slowing to 2.2 per cent, REC data shows that starting salaries have risen in the first quarter of 2017. Employers are boosting pay offers to compete for the limited talent available. “
“Whilst this is good news for individuals looking to move jobs, hirers are concerned about how they can sustain higher starting salaries – there’s only so much they can do to find people to fill jobs. We urge the government to be mindful of the skills shortage during the upcoming Brexit negotiations. Securing the rights of EU workers in the UK should be the number one priority. Employers in healthcare, construction, and agriculture especially are heavily reliant on EU nationals – we must reassure these people about their future in the UK.”
